Writers often feel powerless. We must compete in an increasingly saturated marketplace, and the challenges of marketing our work and building strong platforms can often feel overwhelming as we try to maintain regular writing routines. After coming up against a defeat or two—which is bound to happen—we can start toContinue Reading
In a writer’s life, a series of difficult little things can easily add up to one big feeling of discouragement. Then we can find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a crisis that can threaten our careers. If you’ve noticed this happening in your writing world lately, this postContinue Reading
by Will Williams Being a writer tends to involve lots of deadlines. Generally speaking, they are a helpful part of the creative process. In fact, many books may have remained unfinished without them. Yet no matter how necessary they may be, looming deadlines can be difficult. Knowing that the clockContinue Reading
Americans are the most stressed out people in the world. That’s the news according Gallup’s most recent annual Global Emotions report. A total of 55 percent of Americans said they’d felt a lot of stress the day before the survey. The global average was 35 percent. If the survey hadContinue Reading
Fear is blocking your writing…if you’ve made any of these statements recently: Oh man, I’m just sooooo busy, I haven’t had time to get that story done. Those stupid editors! They don’t know what’s good anyway, so I’m not going to try submitting. Why do I feel so tired lately?Continue Reading
Getting the writing done. It’s not easy. We all have the best of intentions. We set up new schedules. We plan writing times. But then months go by and we realize we’re behind, or that we haven’t accomplished nearly as much as we wanted to. We blame ourselves. We lackContinue Reading
by Crissi Langwell The Road to Hope came to me when I was grocery shopping. No joke! I was at Trader Joe’s in the produce section when I saw a toddler fall from a shopping cart. He had been in the large part of the empty basket, and his weightContinue Reading
How can you improve your writing life? After over 20 years as a full-time professional writer, I’ve learned some things about that. Whether you’re writing part- or full-time; fiction, nonfiction, or freelance; it doesn’t matter—the bottom line is you’re spending a lot of time using your creative brain, as wellContinue Reading
You have dreams of becoming a real “author.” But how do you get there? Here’s how it usually goes. You create a story and take it somewhere for feedback, maybe to a writer’s group, some writing friends, a contest that offers critiques, a workshop, or an editor. Your ultimate goalContinue Reading
Note: Helen and Lorri are a mother/daughter writing team. How unique is that? I had to ask them how they make this unique writing relationship work. Below are their answers to my questions. —Colleen How did you both come to be writers? In other words, what were your individual journeysContinue Reading
For me, the biggest emotional challenge of being a writer is allowing myself to be vulnerable. Fiction writing is an introspective experience. The characters and their journeys exist in a deep, private part of me. Yes, they’re entirely fiction, and yet they feel completely real. I experience their emotions whileContinue Reading
Do you find that you hate your writing lately? You look back over those pages full of the words you’ve written and become overwhelmed with the urge to light a huge bonfire. “Twenty thousand words and a good handful of chapters in,” says author J. M. Frey, “and I hatedContinue Reading